Mechanics Bank Releases 2010 Corporate Giving Total for Sacramento

Just one year after launching its Community Partners Program, Mechanics Bank today announced that its 2010 corporate giving through the program totaled more than $60,000 to 33 nonprofit organizations in the Sacramento region. Additional financial support for local nonprofits came from sponsorships and ticket purchases for fundraising events and from rebates tied to the Bank’s Community Partners Checking Accounts.

The totals did not include in-kind contributions, contributions from the bank’s employees through Community Giving Campaign, a collaboration with United Way and Community Health Charities, California, or the bank’s sponsorship of food and toy drives which benefited seven organizations in Sacramento.

“Our bank maintains its century-long commitment to supporting community organizations,” said Dianne Daiss Felton, Chairman of Mechanics Bank. “We have pledged to donate the equivalent of at least $1000 per employee and for the past five years we have exceeded that goal significantly. We feel a strong partnership with the communities and clients who have supported us.”

The majority of Mechanics Bank’s corporate giving targeted organizations that serve low- to moderate-income families and individuals. These organizations provide services and programs for children, adults and senior citizens, help homeless or hungry families and individuals, support arts and culture, health and education, and work to achieve affordable housing, wildlife and environmental preservation and services for people with disabilities.

“With very few exceptions, Mechanics Bank’s contributions support local organizations. National organizations may have numerous options for seeking support, but at the local level, nonprofits often have a limited pool of potential corporate contributors,” said Ms. Felton. “We try to step up—even if it is in small ways—to support worthy groups that otherwise might find it difficult to fulfill their missions. These local groups often make a significant difference in the quality of life in our communities.”

An example is the Sutter Roseville Medical Center Foundation which supports programs at the Medical Center located in fast-growing Placer County. Mechanics Bank has been a major donor to the foundation’s capital campaigns.

“We don’t usually give to capital campaigns,” said Jim Wilson, head of Private Banking in the Sacramento Region of Mechanics Bank, who has served as a Sutter Roseville Medical Center Foundation board member. “In this case, the need was so critical that we made an exception. We’ve made pledges for the Emergency Department expansion and the master site expansion that included the NICU, Family Birth Center, Cardiac Catheterization Labs, Bed Tower and the Sutter Rehabilitation Institute. We’re proud to be making a difference not only in the financial health, but the physical health of the Sacramento region.”

A year ago, Mechanics Bank launched the Community Partners program to lend a helping hand to the more than 800 Northern California nonprofit organizations with which it has a relationship. The program not only includes special financial products tailored to meet the unique needs of nonprofits, but also helps match nonprofit organizations’ needs with the talents and interests of bank employees. To date, more than 100 employees have signed up for the program.

To help facilitate employee volunteerism, Mechanics Bank has added a new employee benefit of up to 12 hours of paid time off annually for volunteer activiti

About Mechanics Bank

For more than a century, Mechanics Bank has been committed to helping people build prosperous communities as a trusted financial partner, forging lasting relationships through teamwork, respect and integrity. The $2.9 billion independent bank, headquartered in Richmond, California, offers personal banking, business banking, trust, brokerage and wealth management services across Northern California. For more information, please visit www.mechanicsbank.com.